FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 15, 2005

CONTACT:
Eric Antebi 415-977-5747
Eric Olson 202-675-7915

             SENATE STRIPS EARMARKS FROM 'BRIDGES TO NOWHERE'

          Statement by Sierra Club Executive Director, Carl Pope

The Senate Appropriations Committee removed earmarks for two controversial
"bridges to nowhere" in Alaska: the Gravina bridge, which would connect
Ketchikan to an island of 50 people, and the Knik Arm bridge, which would
link Anchorage to a sparsely populated area.  The projects have been the
subject of strong criticism because of the general backlog of existing
roads and bridges in desperate need of repair, especially those affected by
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  According to the National Association of
Civil Engineers, one in four bridges nationwide is structurally deficient
or functionally obsolete, not including the damage from Katrina and Rita.

The issue has been particularly controversial for Senator Lisa Murkowski
(R-AK) who has served as a strong advocate for the Gravina bridge despite
the fact that her family owns 33-acres of undeveloped land 3/4 of a mile
from the point where the bridge would touch down.  Since the State would
now decide how the money would be spent, her father, Governor Frank
Murkowski, would now face the same ethical scrutiny.

Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, responded to the news
with the following statement:

"Most Americans are risking their lives driving on crumbling roads and
bridges that don't get fixed because there simply isn't enough money.  That
explains why there was such a visceral public reaction to the idea of
wasting national tax dollars on two bridges to nowhere in Alaska.

"Removing the budget earmarks for these projects is absolutely the right
thing to do, but it doesn't actually mean the money will go where it is
needed most, namely to fixing our nation's existing roads and bridges.  We
are particularly disappointed that the money was not redirected to
rebuilding transportation infrastructure along the Gulf Coast.

"There are still outstanding ethical issues that have not been addressed.
We have voiced concerns about the role that Senator Lisa Murkowski played
advocating for the Gravina bridge despite the fact that the project would
likely benefit her family personally. Passing the buck onto the State of
Alaska doesn't erase those conflict of interest questions.  It merely
shifts them to her father, Governor Frank Murkowski.

"Given the overwhelming opposition to the idea of wasting federal tax
dollars on these projects, state officials would be wise to spend the money
prudently.  If this ends up being a back door way to pay for the Gravina
and Knik Arm bridges, it will amount to a complete betrayal of American
taxpayers, not to mention American values."

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